The Importance of Building Your Firm’s Brand Authority
Marketing works for three reasons: brand awareness, brand authority, and brand connection. Today I want to detail why brand authority is so important. When you market your law firm online, you increase the authority you have in your field. Authority means that your brand has become so well known that you are considered an expert, thus causing potential clients to look to you for answers. By using your marketing strategies to shine a light on the leadership you have in your field, clients will be drawn to you for answers – causing growth in your firm.
What is Brand Authority?
Authority helps your law firm because it demonstrates expertise, which builds trust. When you show yourself as an expert in your field, people are more likely to come to you for legal representation. People want to trust and follow the guidance of experts, and we can see that effect through television personalities like Dr. Oz and Judge Judy.
Even though medical professionals have shunned Dr. Oz and Judge Judy doesn’t operate in an actual courtroom, their brand (image, name, and logo) influences what the average person believes. People trust them because they have been given authority by network TV.
Examples of Brand Authority
Now, your law firm is not a person and doesn’t operate the way television personalities do. However, your firm does have an image, a name, and a logo, just like many other businesses. There are ways that companies have authority, which leads them to have more customers. You could think of Kleenex, which has become synonymous with facial tissue. Or, you could take Photoshop as an example.
Photoshop is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, and it is synonymous with editing photos. How many times have you heard someone ask to “photoshop” something? Adobe has so much authority when it comes to digital media creation because of how the company markets.
The Photoshop page on their website has phrases like, “custom photo editing and design, for everyone,” or “transform images into scroll-stopping designs.” Because of their authority, people are much more likely to trust the content that comes with the Adobe or Photoshop name on it, in addition to seeking out Adobe products when they need a service.
Implement Brand Authority
Authority works. But how do you implement it? While it may seem counterintuitive, you cannot give yourself brand authority – it is a reputation you have throughout the digital sphere. However, that doesn’t mean that it is beyond your control. To build that authority, you have to find your niche, produce content, and interact with your community.
Find Your Niche
Your niche may be your field of law or the type of content you want to put online; regardless of the niche, it must be related to your firm and attractive to potential clients. For example, if you practice immigration law, it wouldn’t make sense to produce content about economics. However, it would be logical to participate in circles with immigrants or those who are curious about the process.
Produce Content
Once you find your niche, you need to produce content. Ensure that your tone is professional but personable and that you provide content with value. Create articles or videos that showcase the research or personal experiences you or your fellow attorneys have. The content should be honest and authentic to increase your authority.
Interact with your Community
After you’ve created content, you have to interact with the community. Foster relationships with other attorneys online or with people who have legal questions. Engage in the conversations happening online, and contribute to them when you are interested and have valuable information to share.
Final Thoughts
Building the authority of your law firm is part of why marketing works so well. When you show that you are knowledgeable in your field, people will trust you. When people trust you, they feel confident that you know what you’re doing and that money they pay you is money well spent. You’ll attract more clients and improve your relationships with your current and former clients.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at 8 Figure Firm if you have questions about the importance of brand awareness when marketing your law firm. We offer many marketing services to help you grow your firm.
We will help you grow your law firm into a law business.
